Welcome Ozzie!!

Okay, so I admit, my hubby has been more about getting a brother or sister for Blue then I have. I wasn't totally sold on the idea. We looked at potentials online and it was definitely cute imagining what it would be like to have 2 dogs.

On Wednesday, the Humane Society of Pinellas County posted a picture of a 5 year old Mini Aussie named Ozzie. He was so cute!! I showed my hubby and he thought so too. Then yesterday, they posted a video of Ozzie. Oh goodness... They know what they are doing when they post videos. I mentioned to hubby I was resisting the urge to go meet Ozzie, he said he'd check out the video. Within an hour, my mom and I were at the Human Society to meet Ozzie, He had a temporary hold until 2, someone was bringing their dog back to meet him. For whatever reason, it did not work out for them, so I put a hold on Ozzie myself, so that I could go back with hubby and Blue to meet him. Blue and Ozzie pretty much ignored each other in the pen there when we returned in the afternoon. Blue was excited to be somewhere new, with dog toys all over the place and all kinds of new scents. And Ozzie was distracted by all the people there. We had a choice to bring him home or think about it overnight. We brought him home.

I was wondering how Ozzie would handle the car ride. I know that Blue LOVES to ride in the car. He is always going places with us. Ozzie answered my question immediately by jumping right in the car. He does the same thing Blue does - he sits up and looks out the window when the car stops and lays down when it's moving.

When we got home, we took them both right out back to run around the yard. Ozzie reminds me of a little bear. He is pudgy and doesn't do much running, but he loves it outside.

They did well throughout the evening. A couple times Ozzie gave Blue a little warning snap when Blue was being his obnoxious puppy-self but other than that it was all good. At one point, we were all laying up on the couch. Good thing we have a big sectional!

For Ozzie's first night in his new home, we decided to put Blue's crate in the kitchen and leave the door open. We closed off the kitchen so Ozzie had the run of the kitchen and could go in and out of the crate as he wanted. We didn't hear one peep out of him all night (even during the thunderstorm during which I was a little concerned he'd be scared). Blue slept in bed with us as he is accustomed to after many months of being King Snuggleboy of the house. Blue woke me up to go out at his usual 5:15am and we went to get Ozzie. Ozzie didn't make any messes in the kitchen overnight. I took them both out, they both did their business, and then back inside to play.

It hasn't even been 24 hours yet but Ozzie seems very at home here. Blue is handling it very well. If anything, I think Blue wants to play more than Ozzie and Ozzie just wants to be content for the time being and lay around and sleep. I imagine he has some sleep to catch up on.

My favorite moment was this morning when Blue was in his usual spot on the sofa looking out the front window and he barked at a squirrel. Ozzie jumped right up next to him and looked out with him - they were side by side, their cute little Aussie butts wiggling. I think they are going to make great brothers!

Meet my guest blogger - Joanna!

I'd like to introduce you to Joanna, a new friend who has a wonderful blog about her struggles to lose weight. She is an inspiration to me and I follow her blog Diary Of A Mad, Fat Woman daily.

Hello everyone!!

My name is Joanna.  I am 29 years old, a mother to three amazing children, and overweight.  Not as overweight as I was two years ago, but that’s something I’m working on each and every day.

In January, 2010, I stood on the scale for the first time in several months to see a number that burned my heart, scared my soul, and gave me power like nothing ever has before.  That number was 297lbs.  My first reaction to seeing that number was to cry.  I couldn’t believe I had let my weight get so out of hand.  Crying wasn’t going to fix it, however, and I knew that I had to do something so that I would never see that number again.  And so I did.

Despite my determination to shed some weight, I wasn’t ready to share that unthinkable number with anyone.  When I started my blog, I lied.  Yes, I admit it.  I was so embarrassed and scared that people would read it and judge me that I fudged the numbers – starting my journey off almost 40lbs lighter.  For some reason, sharing that I was starting at 260lbs rather than my actual starting weight was more manageable for me.  I’m not proud of it, now, but it got me through the first months.

When I first started my journey I could barely walk for 15 minutes without feeling completely exhausted and having to stop several times to catch my breath.  Walking.  Just walking.  I just couldn’t do any more than that.  My knees were buckling over the weight that they were holding, and the thought of having to have surgery loomed over my head ever y day.  I wasn’t going to let that happen, though, and just kept walking.

By March, 2010, I had managed to drop 27lbs.  I was now able to walk further and even added a little jogging in to the mix.  I really felt I was ready to conquer the world, and signed up for my first 5K race.  I finished the race, but I was so not ready for that kind of distance.  That first race left my knees in the worst shape – and I had to spend two days on the couch, not able to walk at all. It was in those two days that I realized I couldn’t give up – and I had to keep fighting.

The months that followed were amazing.  I walked almost every day, often adding some form of “wogging” as one of my dear blogging friends says.  By June, 2010, I had lost over 50lbs and weighed in at 245lbs.  That’s when I decided to really up my exercise intensity and signed up for a Boot Camp fitness class.  It was amazing, and I did things I never thought I could do: push-ups, sit-ups, circuit training, obstacle courses, – even pulling a HumVee!  I finished boot camp dropping 4% of my body fat – and gaining 100% confidence. 

June was also when I competed in my second 5K race – one that I jogged 75% of the time!  I finished the race in a little under 45 minutes...AND was able to spend the day after walking around my favorite little Historic town with the Hubby.  No more pain.  No more two day recovery.  I was a changed person.

In the months since then, I’ve had my share of trials and tribulations.  I took a break over the holidays and my time being a full-time student, a full-time student teacher, and a full-time mother has definitely taken priority over my health and fitness on too many occasions to count.  Despite everything I have on my plate of life, I have still managed to keep the weight coming off.  I now sit here at 210.8lbs.  Yes.  I have lost a total of 86lbs. 

I still have a long way to go.  My goal weight is 150lbs.  I am closer, though, closer than I have been since high school.  Each day is a battle. 

The eating has become second nature.  I feel my kitchen with healthy foods: lean meats, whole grains, veggies, hummus, fruits, and nuts.  I’ve even managed to convert my entire house hold into a “healthy household”.  It wasn’t easy to start with – but they support me 100%, even if that means eating something they’re not too sure about.

I still struggle with the exercise, a little.  Not the ability to do it, finding the time to do it.  That is life, though, and I do what I can.  I am proud to say, however, that I am now able to run for 12 minute increments and walking 2 minutes in between.  I run 5K most Sundays, and 2 miles a time or two during the week.  At the end of this month, I will be competing in my 3^rd 5K race.

If I was asked what one thing has kept me on my toes, I would have to say my blog.  My blog is my sanctuary, my outlet, and my connection to others just like me – fighting the same fight.  I have made life-long friendships with people that I have never met.  I have cried with complete strangers.  I have also laughed, cheered on, and celebrated with the same people – as they have with me.  My blog holds me accountable for my journey – and it helps me see my progress (and pitfalls) in black and white.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about me.  Hopefully you’ll come visit me in my neck of the woods at www.diaryoffatwoman.blogspot.com

A couple goals to work towards... (and a guest blogger tomorrow!)

It's time I set a few goals for myself, here for all the world to see. Having lost 8.8 pounds in the 7 weeks I've been back on WW, I know that the program does work when I do it. It is hard to be good all the time and I do struggle, but I refuse to deprive myself. One of the great gals in my WW meeting put it perfectly last week. She said it's taken her awhile to lose the weight she has, but it's because she's been busy living. I love that. You have to live and enjoy life and enjoy the events in your life that involve food. Our family gets together at least once a month for family dinners. Sometimes they are at one of our homes, other times they are at a restaurant. Sometimes I will stay on point and sometimes I don't. But that is why we have extra weekly points, not to mention hard-earned activity points. Case in point, we went to Hooters on Easter Sundar for a non-traditional dinner. I chose to have my "usual" and not worry about the points. It was a treat, one that I really enjoyed. It's being able to get back on track that means I will succeed in the long run.

So anyway, back to my goals. Iam losing an average of 1.25 lbs. a week - sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. I am an overall picture kind of girl. I have a weight that I want to get to and I am happy getting there in due time. Like I've said, I'm not in any hurry.

Weight goals:
June 15th - I would like to be down 16 pounds total - this will put me at my 10% goal
October 15 - I would like to be at my goal weight of 130 and maintaining it, back at lifetime member status

Activity goals:
June 15th - I would like to be able to run 2 miles straight - I am not looking to set record times, just be able to run continuously for 2 miles
October 15 - I would like to be able to run 2 miles a day, 5 days a week

I realize that it is likely I may have less weight to lose than others, just as likely as it is more than others. But it is my feeling that losing weight is all relative. For myself, my short little 5' 3" frame does not do well anytime I get over 145. It affects me physically as well as mentally. It is hard on my legs and feet and I notice that my back is more prone to issues when I am carrying extra weight. 130 is my happy weight. I am most comfortable there. It's hard to get under that number, although I have dipped into the upper 120's a few times before, but it is hard to maintain. I am a very muscular gal.

I am struggling a bit this week with working out. I did not work out on Monday. Yesterday I did my TaeBo Cardio Circuit 2 workout - 53 minutes of sweating my butt off. It's great. I intended to walk today, always working towards my goal of 15 miles a week, but it was so warm here today, I couldn't bring myself to walk outside. The treadmill did not seem the least bit exciting to me so I decided to do TaeBo again. I did it two days in a row last week as well. So, half of my weekly goal has been reached. Two days of TaeBo for the week - done.

I hope you'll check back here tomorrow. I am so excited to have a guest blogger. Her name is Joanna and I love to read her blog. She is an inspiration and has quite a story. She is on a weight loss journey as well and has lost an amazing 86 pounds so far. You can find her over at Diary Of A Mad, Fat Woman . I urge you to read her story and follow her real-life struggles as she works towards her goal. She is amazing!

National Infertility Awareness Week - Bust A Myth!

This week is National Infertility Awareness Week. RESOLVE and the infertility community are busting myths and telling truths about common myths and misconceptions of being “infertile”.

Myth:  “Maybe you aren’t meant to have a child…”

I want to bust this myth into next week. This is quite possibly the worst statement I have ever heard in our 4+ years of trying to have a baby.

Any kind of TTC advice I’ve gotten I’ve always tried to take lightly.  Certain things work for some and not for others. I have decided that the ability to get pregnant is actually total luck. All stars have to be aligned and all has to be right in the land of fertility for those little swimmers to catch that egg. It really is a miracle that there are so many people in this world.

It wasn’t until we were momentarily pregnant in January 2007, after 5 months of trying, that I was faced with the word “miscarriage” on such a personal level. The minute I was in the midst of one, I heard of others I knew who had had one and sadly, just how common it really is. When you are trying to have a baby and watching ever so carefully for every little symptom you might have, and it’s therefore possible to know that you are pregnant VERY early, it is likely that you will experience an early miscarriage at some point. If you are not specifically “trying” and aren’t counting the days and keeping track of your cycle and so on, you may have had a miscarriage and will never know it.

But when you do have one, you should never have to hear “Maybe you aren’t meant to have a child.” It is the cruelest statement ever. Especially as time continues to pass without ever again having a positive pregnancy test no matter the extremes you go to. I’ve been poked, prodded, tested, medicated, operated on, all without success or even a real reason as to why it is not happening for us. I have not had one more positive pregnancy test since January 2007, despite our hopes, desires, and all the money we have spent.

Sure, I have to deal with the fact every day of my life that we will probably never be parents, that we probably waited too long, but it’s no one else’s place to tell me that I’m just not meant to be one. Not cool.

If you aren’t sure what to say to someone in my shoes, just say you’re sorry. That's it.

RESOLVE.org is a wonderful resource for those dealing with infertility, as well as for friends and family of those struggling. They have a lot of information for all aspects. Do what you can to support couples experiencing this heartbreaking disease. Visit RESOLVE today. Here are two very informative links: http://www.resolve.org/infertility101  and  http://www.resolve.org/takecharge .

Strong legs

I caught a glimpse of my legs this morning when I was running. Between the endorphin-rush I was in the midst of and the sun hitting them just right, it occurred to me that I have strong legs. I have worked them hard this week, so far I'm up to 17 miles for the week and I did TaeBo twice.

I am fortunate that my body responds as it does. When I am good to it and treat it right, I get results. Obviously this isn't always an easy thing. Sometimes it's easier to sit on the couch and do nothing or eat junk food. But I am a muscular person and after doing the right exercises, those muscles will show. I'll have the legs that I used to have and the arms and shoulders that I love to show off in tank tops.

I took this picture after my run this morning. They were like jello and I could feel every muscle in them, bitching at me for pushing them so hard this week between walking, running, and TaeBo. After a rest, they'll be ready to go again and will continue to see me through this journey.

Double time!

I have rediscovered my love of TaeBo. I used to do TaeBo when I first did WW in 2006. It along with walking / running were my go to workouts to get the most bang for my buck. I would do TaeBo in the morning and walk/run in the afternoon. Eventually that dedication to working out stopped when life got in the way and the TaeBo DVDs were put away.

I've pulled them out a few times over the past couple years. It doesn't do much of anything when it's done sporadically and I never really got back into it.

Last week I pulled the DVDs out again. Cardio Circuit 1 is 36 minutes long and Cardio Circuit 2 is 53 minutes long. To me, the 36 minute one is a little more intense and challenging, but I enjoy both. I did Cardio Circuit 1 last week and had set a goal to do it twice a week. That plan fell through last week so I gave it another go this week.

Yesterday I did Cardio Circuit 2, the 53 minute one, to see if I could still do it, the whole thing. And I did. Not only did I do it, but I enjoyed it. And I was so pumped when I finished, that I then walked for 2.75 miles afterwards.

All day today, I kept thinking about doing it again when I got home. To me, this is exciting. It's that drive and motivation I had before and it thrills me to have that feeling. So the minute I got home, I changed and popped in the DVD. 53 minutes passed just like that. I definitely felt it more than I did yesterday and it was a little more of a challenge, but it was great. And again, I walked afterwards. Today I walked 2.25 miles.

For those of you who have never done TaeBo, I highly recommend it. I am not very coordinated so for me to be able to do it, that's huge! (haha) And Billy Blanks is very motivating. The DVDs I have are 5 years old and I have not checked out any of the newer ones, but I imagine they are similar.

I am excited to find that drive ands motivation that I was struggling to find for so long. I hope that it takes me far in this journey I am on.

Dare I post these?

As I have become quite the blog-follower as of lately, I see alot of progress photos and I think it's great way to keep track of changes to your body during your weight loss journey. I had my hubby take some photos of me last week and I've been wanting to post them but have not had the nerve. That leads me to this post...

Of course I need to post them, that is why I am here! That's why I'm sharing my journey on here for anyone who is interested. If I liked the way I look and feel in my skin now, I wouldn't be taking these steps to a better me. So, I am going to post them. I don't like them, it's upsetting to see, and I will be glad when I have better ones to post soon.

When I first joined WW back in Jan. 2006, it was all because of a picture of myself that I just could not get out of my head. One that I would look at and think, who is that?? I find myself in that position again, 5 years later. Who is this in these photos? It's not me... It's not the girl who a few years ago felt great in her skin or enjoyed wearing cute capris and tank tops. This girl wants to hide behind clothes that are too big. 

Having lost 8.6 lbs. just 4 weeks into this journey has me motivated to keep going. These photos motivate me as well. Sharing these photos with anyone who sees them on here, motivates me ALOT.

Take that!

Friday weigh-in was a success! After gaining a pound last week and swearing that would not happen again this week, I successfully lost 3 pounds. I was so happy about that. I was confident going in that I lost something, I just didn't know how much. I was a little surprised at how much, though, as it was not my best week for walking. I only logged 8 miles for the week (short of my goal of 15 per week) and I also did TaeBo one day (short of my goal of twice a week). BUT, at the end of the day, I did the best I could given how busy I was.

I do best when I have my meals all planned out and when I can get home in time to do  my walks and/or TaeBo as planned. It's when I have crazy busy days and other stuff gets in the way that I struggle with eating right and trying to at least get some activity in. I need to be able to roll with the punches a little better. My problem is my type-A personality and my controlling nature. Something to work on.

My total for 4 weeks back on WW is 8.6 lbs. gone. I hit my 5% and got my first star. My next goal is to hit my 10% which will put me halfway to my goal. I am definitely up for the challenge!

Just Do It!

I left work feeling like my brain was fried, literally. Huge project I've been working on the past 2 days has literally depleted all the brain cells I had left. As I'm driving home, I'm thinking how I don't want to walk, I want to just lay on the couch and watch TV. I was trying to think of every excuse not to walk. I called my hubby and told him I was headed home and that I was going for a walk. I figured that was halfway to actually doing it - if I told him I was walking, I had to do it.

Got home and looked at the couch for a minute and really contemplated laying on it and not getting up for a few hours. But alas, I did not. I could not ignore Blue barking, expecting to go on our daily afternoon walk, or the fact that I NEEDED to walk.

So I changed my clothes and off we went. It was hot and humid and I was not totally into it, but the farther I walked, the better I felt. Each step I took made me happier that I did not listen to my inner evil voice and lay on the couch.

I will remember this the next time I don't want to walk and I'll tell myself JUST DO IT! And there will be no excuse because I know I can.

A delicious lunch!

As I sit down to have my lunch, I thought I'd share. This is a filling, fresh salad with lots of protein - all for only 3 points.

Ingredients:

Lettuce (today I used icerberg lettuce but most of the time I use romaine)

Cucumber

Tomato

Diced onion

Artichoke hearts (in water not olive oil)

1 serving of Solid White Albacore Tune (in water) - 1 serving = 1/2 can

2 tbsp. Ken's Light Options Sweet Vidalia Onion Dressing

The tuna has 1 point and the dressing has 2 points - a lot of food for 3 points.

Enjoy!

Me 3 - Scale 1

I felt like I was walking the plank this morning as I walked up to the scale. I knew that it would not be in my favor. I know my body well enough to know when this will happen. My hubby told me this morning on his way out the door to let him know how I did after I weigh in and I said I know I gained. Way to be positive, he says... Technically I was being positive, I was positive that I gained.

Lorraine, our fearless leader, asked me about my gain, did I expect it, how do I feel? I told her that yes, I expected it, but it still sucks. It has been a tough week all around, party last weekend, Daddy's birthday Monday, not feeling well, less activity because not feeling well... All of that is reason for the scale to be up and not down. What I am surprised about it that it's not up more than a pound. BUT, today starts a new week and this one will be better. She told me that is a great attitude and to not give up.

For all those keeping score out there, I have weighed-in for 4 weeks now, and 3 of those weeks I lost weight. This is the first week with a gain. Technically I am still winning. But that doesn't help with the little voice that keeps trying to interrupt my thoughts telling me that I could have done better.

We're starting a walking challenge at the meeting and of course I signed up. I can totally do that.

Now that the weigh-on is done and I faced my gain head-on, it's time to put it behind me. I will not let the scale beat me next week. No way, no how. The score next week will be Me 4 - Scale 1... Guaranteed.

Confession...

I am TERRIFIED to weigh-in tomorrow morning. This has been an off week for sure. The weekend was a rough one. Temptation everyone with my sister's birthday fun, although I still think I skated enough to work at least some of it off. I have not had as much water as I should this week, I've only walked twice (in addition to the 2+ hours of skating on Sautrday), and today I had a moment of weakness and had Pringles. Ugh.

I was also sick yesterday and didn't care too much about portions when I had my soup for lunch and snacks. It has just been a stressful week. And can I mention that mother nature is paying a visit and that always screws things up? Ugh again.

The scale won't lie, that is for sure. I dread getting on it, but of course I have to. And then a new week will start, which means a clean slate. I can't dwell on the bad choices I made this week, I need to move on and look ahead to the better choices I will make in the coming week. Until tomorrow.... 

Setting goals - April!

My goal for March was to walk 100 miles - did it. I have been thinking about what to set my goal for April. I want to keep up my walking but I need to add in some cardio and I think I want to get back into TaeBo. And while the thought of that terrifies me at the moment because I know it will be hard for the first few weeks, I am quite sure that I can suffer my way through it. After all, I did just walk 104 miles in one month. Clearly I am up for a good challenge.

Here is my goal for April:
Walk at least 15 miles a week
TaeBo at least 2x a week
Ultimately I would like to walk M-W-F- S-S and do TaeBo T-Th. But I think if I try to keep to a set schedule like that, it may get complicated as my timing may not always work out the way I want. So... I'm just going to do what I want, when I want and see how it all works out.

So here we go!

Bittersweet weekend

This weekend has been a busy one... My baby sister turned 21 yesterday. We had a roller skating party, which I think was a FABULOUS idea!! Oh my goodness, it was so much fun. It was so neat to get on skates after at least 25 years and skate like I never stopped. We were there for about 3 hours and I probably skated for a solid two hours of that, if not a little more. So much fun.

Afterwards we all went to Chili's for her birthday dinner and drinks. There was food and drinks and laughter and silliness all around. When they brought the cake out and Jenni blew out the candles, her excitement over turning 21 faded and she cried. Jenni and my dad always celebrated their birthdays together since they were just 2 days apart. After dinner, some of us went to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa and had more fun. Jenni had the most fun of all, you can only imagine, I'm sure... The night ended very late!

Today we went to the Bay Pines VA Cemetery as a family to celebrate my dad's birthday, a day early so we could go together. It was tough. It's an odd feeling to wish someone a Happy Birthday and not be able to hug them or have a conversation with them. To have always celebrated birthdays together makes it very surreal to all of a sudden not. It is the first birthday since his passing. The 4th day of the 4th month of the year, which is 4 months since his passing.

It was so nice to be there with Mike, Mommy, Nick, Jenna, Autumn, Jenni, and Nile - together to honor my dad. There were tears and there was laughter. One thing I've learned since losing my dad is that my emotions can be extreme and can change quickly. Overwhelming doesn't quite explain it.

So it was a bittersweet weekend, indeed. I am exhausted, physically and emotionally. But I am glad we spent the weekend together. There is power in togetherness and being a family.

Reckless abandon and more

I am so proud of myself for being down 6.6 pounds in the 3 weeks since returning to WW. I am right on track for how I want to lose it. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

We talked about what works for us in yesterday's meeting. The first thing that came to mind is ACCOUNTABILITY. I need it. It's the only way I can succeed. Otherwise I will eat anything and everything, in large quantities, and without any thought about what it will do to me. Without the accountability and structure of WW, I eat with reckless abandon. And that isn't good for me.

Losing 6.6 pounds gets me under the 160 mark. Always setting small goals for myself, my next milestone will be 149, getting just under the 150 mark will be huge as it's been probably a year since I've seen those numbers on the scale.

I talked in the meeting about my 100-mile walking goal for the month of March. Some of the members thought I was CRAZY. Others thought I was the coolest thing ever for not only setting such a goal, but for actually completing it. One of the ladies that works there pulled me aside at the end of the meeting and told me I am a huge inspiration and because of me, she is going to walk more. That makes me feel so good. I like the thought of inspiring people. Who knew??